Leino, linemates look to repeat recent Flyers history (With Video)

VOORHEES, N.J. - Their postseason success against the Buffalo Sabres has been spotty at best in recent years, just like their overall play down the stretch.

Rather than burden themselves with such nagging realities, however, the Flyers will approach their first-round playoff series that begins Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center with only good feelings of nostalgia from a year ago. That's probably a good idea since the Sabres have won three of the last four postseason series between the teams.

The Flyers will choose to shrug off such historic notions, but as for that 2010 playoff run to the Stanley Cup finals? Who's to say that slice of the past can't be repeated?

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"I like the feeling around here," Danny Briere said Monday after a Skate Zone bonding session. "There's excitement in the air here."

Yes a confident buzz, one that moved Briere's linemate Ville Leino to declare, "these are going to be the fun games."

Less positive vibes were left unmentioned on this day, and just about all of them had to do with injured defensive leader Chris Pronger.

General manager Paul Holmgren hasn't changed his stance on Pronger and whether his surgically enhanced hand injury will keep him out for Game 1 and beyond or not. Holmgren declined comment ... except for the promise he'd send a Flyers spokesman an email later in the night.

But Pronger's body language Monday spoke of a player on the fast track to recovery. Or re-recovery. He sat in on a power play meeting and did go through workouts, though he didn't practice with the club.

Aside from the obvious impacts that Pronger, outstanding Sabres goalie Ryan Miller and untested (in the playoffs) Flyers supposed starter in net Sergei Bobrovsky will have on the series, however, it should really come down to the question of whether the Flyers forwards can get their game back in gear or not.

Much of that onus comes down to the line of Briere, Leino and Scott Hartnell, which proved the difference a year ago between a short loss to Boston in the second round and what turned out to be a run to the Cup finals.

"I'm really looking forward to getting that line back in the playoffs again," coach Peter Laviolette said of the Briere line. "I thought once they got going, especially in that Boston series and right on through the finals, they were a really dominating line."

With Briere scoring goals off nice feeds from Leino and Hartnell creating havoc and much room in front of opposing goalies, it really is a well-balanced line. But as the Flyers slid down the stretch this season, Leino's game started to be riddled with mistakes, Hartnell was sometimes invisible and Briere began to see different wingers by his side.

Paying the price for it the most was Leino, who on a couple of key occasions was caught trying to do too much off his usual marathon skating sessions with the puck. Rather than create instant offense as he's done so much in the past, Leino was caught giving up a few critical turnovers that led to decreased time on the ice.

"We were on a slide a little bit and we weren't playing as well. I got a little of the heat of that," Leino said. "...It's not a lot of fun to (sit). But now the playoffs are here and I can't look back. It's a new season starting now and everybody starts with a clean table."

So it's a time to stop looking back, both for Leino and the coach who hasn't been too happy with him on some occasions.

Pointing again to that line's performance in the playoffs last year, Laviolette said, "They had a great chemistry ... there were a lot of good things that happened this year and a lot of good things that happened last year with them in the playoffs, and you'd like to see them give us that bump this year in the playoffs and get us to play at a different level."

They'll have to against Miller, one of the league's most respected and somewhat feared goaltenders. But the guy that took the United States to a silver medal in the Olympics in 2010 and has a huge experience advantage on Bobrovsky didn't exactly have a banner year.

Statistically, Miller (34-22-8, 2.59 GAA and .916 saves percentage) didn't have a whole lot on the Flyers Russian rookie (281-2-8, 2.59 and .915) this season. Then again, Bobrovsky's better numbers came during the first half. He really struggled down the stretch, though not so much as to let Brian Boucher steal the playoff spotlight from him.

Not yet, anyway.

Laviolette put Boucher in for Bobrovsky as recently as an ugly 7-4 win over the Islanders in the regular season finale Saturday. So while there is a buzz that says Miller is capable of stealing this series away for Buffalo, it could be up to Briere and Co. to dispel that notion early on before the Sabres get too carried away.

"There's not really any secret with a guy like Ryan Miller," said the goalie's former Buffalo teammate Briere. "You have to put the puck at the net and get traffic there. We'll have to get our nose dirty to find pucks around him."

Not only would that help, but keeping their hands clean while doing busywork in their defensive zone would help, too. Despite his recent struggles, Leino wants everyone know that he knows that.

"Everything I'll do is going to be defensive-minded, or all the small things," Leino said. "Get pucks out, not turn pucks over. I'll keep it simple."

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NOTES: While there was nothing very concrete about Pronger injury news, fourth-line center Blair Betts said he's confident he'll be a go for Game 1. ... Briere on Miller: "I've played with a lot of really good goalies, but his competitiveness and the work he puts in, I think those are the reasons he's one of the best goalies in the league ... or the best goalie in the league. He was the hardest worker on our team."